This invention relates generally to a customer information network for a retail store and, more particularly, relates to a system for optically extracting indicia from a coupon and employing the extracted indicia within the network to facilitate customer shopping, manufacturer marketing and store efficiency.
In most grocery stores and some retail stores, the typical procedure for obtaining products for many people involves clipping coupons at home, taking the coupons to the store, picking up a shopping cart, moving the cart up aisle after aisle looking for desired products and then taking the cart of found products to the cashier for payment. The procedure is repeated by many on a weekly basis oftentimes taking up a large portion of the day.
In order for a manufacturer to give a discount on a product, it may issue a printed coupon to be redeemed by the manufacturer via a retailer or provide for a rebate to be redeemed directly by the manufacturer. Coupons have been supplied through the mail or newspapers, on the product itself, or printed at a retail outlet. However, the newspapers and leaflets of coupons mailed or delivered to homes is the most common channel for delivering coupons to customers. In order to obtain a discount on a product, the printed coupon must be presented to the checkout station. The printed coupons redeemed by the retailer are sent to a clearing house that in turn separates the coupons and bills the respective manufacturer for reimbursement of the retailer.
This paper system has proven itself to be somewhat of a nuisance to customers as well as the retailers. The customers have to manually take scissors and clip desired coupons, sort them by product categories (e.g., detergents, canned foods, cereals, frozen foods, toiletries, etc.) in order to efficiently find the products when at the store. Furthermore, the customers have to periodically look through their many coupons to remove expired ones. On the other side, the retailers have to expend considerable man hours sorting coupons by manufacturer for redemption as well as monitoring for expired coupons at the check out station. However, most coupons go through a clearing house for sorting where the clearing house pays the retailer cash for the estimated value of the coupons, the difference between the estimated and actual amount be later credited or debited. Nevertheless, the retailer must still monitor for expired coupons and deal with collecting the coupons and sending them to the clearinghouse for payment.
Another problem associated with the paper coupon system is misredemption. For example, misredemption may occur through a consumer who expects a cooperative grocer to accept coupons without purchasing the item. In other instances, it may be the checkout clerk who brings coupons to work, puts them in the cash drawer and takes cash out. In some cases the retail store manager may pump substantial quantities of coupons in the redemption stream to reduce his xe2x80x9cshrinkxe2x80x9d. Misredemption of coupons is estimated to be as high as 20%-30%.
Another problem associated with typical shopping is finding the desired products. Oftentimes, customers will walk up and down the aisles in a hap hazard manner looking for items. For example, a customer may first look for a particular brand of cookies in aisle 5, then move on to aisle 12 to find cereal only to have to return back to aisle 5 to find jelly. This process is repeated for many and possibly most customers, who cannot possibly remember where every product desired is located in the store. Moreover, even if the locations of the products are known, if the customer""s coupons are not arranged according to categories and locations within the store, this may also force the customer to go back and forth between the aisles. If the coupons are not sorted and the customer does not know the locations then the problem is compounded.
Furthermore, manufacturers are faced with the problem of limited shelf space for advertisements of products within the stores due to the many numbers of products competing for valuable shelf space. The manufacturer desires to entice as many customers as possible to buy its products. This is done typically through advertisements and coupons. However, the paper coupon system is plagued with the aforementioned problems and the limited shelf space makes product marketing ever more difficult.
Additionally, the checkout system of grocery stores has problems. When the shopper is finished, he or she proceeds to the cash register/data terminal in a check out area of the store. The cash register/data terminal typically includes a hand held and/or fixed mounted dataform reading and decoding assembly (i.e., xe2x80x9cdataform readerxe2x80x9d). If a fixed mounted dataform reader is being used, a store clerk presents each item""s bar code dataform to the dataform reader, that is, the dataform is moved along an upper surface of a glass window under which the dataform reader is mounted. If a hand held dataform reader is being used, the clerk xe2x80x9caimsxe2x80x9d the reader at each item""s dataform as the item moves past the terminal. In each case, a xe2x80x9cgood read and decodexe2x80x9d signal will be actuated after each successful dataform read and decode to notify the clerk that the item""s dataform was successfully read and decoded. The signal may be an audible tone or xe2x80x9cbeepxe2x80x9d. If no xe2x80x9cbeepxe2x80x9d is heard, the clerk will repeat the reading process for the item until successful or else manually key enter the product.
A number of problems are associated with such a cash register/data terminal system including: (1) inconvenience for customers waiting in long check-out lines; (2) use of valuable floor space for the check-out area when a number of cash registers/data terminals are utilized; (3) human resource costs for attending to the checkout procedure; and (4) product prices have to be either printed on labels affixed to each item marked on shelving adjacent the item""s shelf space so a customer knows the price of the item.
Thus what is needed is an improved shopping system which overcomes the above-mentioned problems associated with a paper coupon system; the difficulty associated with finding products in the store; the problems manufacturers face with advertising to customers; and the problems associated with conventional check-out procedures.
The following presents a simplified summary of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is intended neither to identify key or critical elements of the invention nor delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
The present invention relates to a customer information network for use by customers in a retail environment. The present invention provides for a network where a host computer controls main operations of the system. The host computer is connected via the Internet or other network system to computers of customers and manufacturers. The store also includes a sub-network within the store which includes wireless access points, mobile terminals including bar code scanners tied thereto.
In the retail environment, the customer can use a shopping cart with a portable computing device (i.e., mobile terminal) attached thereto. The customer can identify himself/herself to the portable computing device. Once identified, the portable computer can assist the customer through the store for efficient shopping. The host computer via the access points and portable computer can guide the customer through the store in the most efficient manner. For example, the host computer can generate a map and protocol for the user to find the products desired without having to go back and forth through the store.
Furthermore, the customer can scan the products found at the store with the bar code scanner attached to the portable computing device before placing the products in the cart. The portable computing device can include a speaker and a graphic interface which manufacturers can use to advertise their products as well as provide information about its products to the customer. The retailers may also use the portable computing device to provide the customer with recipes, store advertisements, nutritional information, etc. Icons can be displayed by the graphical interface to promote the various products. The present invention can also be used to provide an easy link for the customer to the manufacturer""s web site for product information.
The present invention may be employed by retailers and manufacturers to obtain demographics regarding product trends, customer behavior, purchasing activities, etc. Accordingly, the present invention provides a system which affords manufacturers with a way to better market their products and provide product information to customers at the customer""s point of decision.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a system and method for an information system for use by customers in a retail shopping environment are provided. The system includes a host computer and a portable terminal for use by a customer. The portable terminal is located within a retail environment and interacts with the host computer to access product information. A customer enters a request for product information via an input device. The portable terminal then transmits the customer request and receives the product information from the host computer. A processor is employed for generating a request or query related to the received product information; and both the product information and additional query information is then displayed to the customer.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. The following description and annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention. These embodiments are indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed. Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawings.